Potato-digger.



S. SWANSON. Femmv DIGGER.

PPLCATON FILED JUNEZ, i915. Lll-l Patented Apr. 18, 19M.

S. SWANSON.

POTATO DIGGER. APPUCAUQN FILED luNE 25.1915.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETS--SHEET 2- Snow/tofu Jvelolowmozz S. SWANSCN.

POTATO DIGGEH. APPLICATION HLEn1uNE25,19|5.'

nented Apr. 18, 1916 @Houma/1314,

S. SWANSON. PoTATo DIGGER.

'/m. umani Subject ci Application filed June 25, 12H5, Serial No. 36,217.

To @ZZ Iw 710m it' 'mcy conce/m.'

Be it known that Smil SWANSQN, a'

the King oi Sweden, residing at "nieagjoi in the. county of Cook und State of liiinoie,v have invented certain new anti nseiui miiirovenients in Potato-Digg; s, o'i' wi ch the foiiowinggiis a speciiicaiiim.

The present invention relates t6 improve ments in that type of potafidiggers dis-- ciosed by my previous Patent No, 988,835, dated tni'ii i, 1911, Vthe' 'characterizing novel. ,teinture llying);.ffii-iinariiv .in the conveying niechanismg'by means of which the fio' potatoes are elevated to the vine'and weed separating; enti potato Sorting instrumenn taii'ties. Y

in the carrying outof my present in1- provenients an object has been to provide means to receive the potatoes from the plow or excavating; member with which fingers carried by 'the coni ever cact to elevate the not occ, said, receiving means tending to hold the fingers in proper position during that nort'ioiroii their travel in which they` perform their elevating' function, and fornithe i, ltoes.

Another vob3ect is Speci'lcaton of Letters atent.

ine' ai; the-end portion :i sortingA element for aforesaid to receive-v,

bers to `tfaciiitate sem-tration oi: the diii'erentv sizes of poiatoes. I

These and. such other. objects :is may hereinaiter appear are attained by the novel construction. combination and arrangement of 'ports to be hereinafter speciiicaiiy tiescribeti and claimed. l Reference wiii new be had to the accompanying; drawings 'forming a part of this specitication, wherein: 'n

iig'u're l is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with this -inven' tion. 2 is n longitudinal sectional View. Fig'. 3 is a top plan View. F1024 is an enlargetlview of one of the convcyer members and showing' in section the potato receiving; eiements with which it cooperates. Fig. 5 is a sectional View teken about on ,giiitiingI the truck.

Entretanto@ Apr, n

the iine5-5 oi Fig. le. hing. 6 is a sectiongii/iew on the line GWG ci Fig. 3, showing( the ratchet mechanisn'i `for one of the Whceis. Fie' is a perspective View L Y plow anti ui listing); iev-er the' 'no2'. is :i perspective vier: of one oi ti bars oi the weed separati Fie'. a iireguicntary vieuv o'f :z transve ne conveyor bar. 'i0 a bien view of the sorting screens. lig. il is n tire. mentzirjv sectional 'View oi the bracket connectingn the n'mchine the guiding truck. Ii `i,(.. l2 is n pian View ci? the coriiiectiny; link between the bracket and the guiding; truck.v Fig. i3 is; a longitudinal sectional. view of the connecting; iini. Fig;

14e is a front eicvation oi? the guiding. truck.

Fig. i5 is a iongituciinal fragmentary hori- Zontni sectional view ofthe bracket portion Shown in Fig.' iii., Fig. 16 is si "top pian view of the pin receiving' head, for

'fhrougi'hout 'the foiioxvinf; detail tiescrip-- tion., and on' the several iie'urcs of 'the tira'w inge sii'nilcr warts are ife'i'ferreci to by liite reference chai rac'tcrs.

VDesc ibingij 'the apparatus forming; the embodiment oi' inv invention, i tiesignaies frame sun'iorteoi centrnilv upon the etnie f2 whici are mounted they driving);r or ground wheels; 3. At the forward portion of the iframe is fixed a hopper 4 for con lining the potatoes as they are excavated by the plow 5, pivotetl to the 'front extremity of the machine and suiius'tantiniiy within 'the hopper gust referred to. A. iever 5 is iixed. to the plow 5 and provided for eti'lutingg the saine to regulate the depth of wcm-'ating action, seid lever coperating with the notchedr segment 7 in the customary mei ner'to maintain adjusted position.

i'ra'lt means; for .theinachinc comprise the tongue S connected to the truck wheels 9 mounted in the yoke l0 'through the instrumentaiity ci the pin receiving comico tion i.(l, to which is pivotaiiy connected. the coupling' iinit 1L in turn connected to the bracket l2 secured to the iront of the machine. or more properly speaking, to the hopper i at this nciht. The connection oetiveen the 'iarte'jff :mii if?, issuch as to eliow n certain zur-:omit ci free movement ver n'heeie 9 pees ticai'..f so that when the truclt with members, said means constitution,1 se

Liemeer shaft and by reason of their flexible character,

kln order 4to permit of turning of the machine during its operation, Without open ating thev eonveyer, the ,\vheels 3 vided with ratchet mechanism as shown. in Fig. G, the Wheels carry/ spring actuated pewls e9 which the ratchet 50 keyed to the axle or shaft?J and dierential move ment of the wheels is thereby permittecl. i

ln the broader aspect o1" this machine, it will be iippzirent that the reeeivingimemf bers or rods perform several functions in that they support anfl hohl the potatoes they are directed nl nvafnlly by the fingered. bars ami said, lingered bars a re properly held in nctnat g or pot-oto engage ing; position by 'the frictional engagement with seid rolls. 'l'h rods obviously screen the potatoes, as they nre elevated, the riirt felling therebetween that the potatoes ari-ire at Athe 'pper portion olf the conveyer :i substantially Clean Condition, oir epting fior the Weeds nml; "vines which. are removed by ti e trennte a itilting` racks. rln the vibration ot the `srn'ting; screens a certain amount of vibrnt'ory movement is transmitted down the roris 23, eliectnnlly rassisting in the screening et the dirt as the potatoes conveyed upwardly.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new is:

l.' ,in a `potato digger, 'the combination a Wheeled frame, and excavating means carried thereby, of elevating means comprising :i eonveyer including trzinsverse notato engaging' members, ami receiving means rlisposerl over the coni-.foyerA on which the potatoes conveyed by the enfraeing nung means for removing the dirt from the potstoes and ext-ending beyongl the eonveyer t form a Yvibrntory potato sorting element.

2. ln a. potato (ligger, the Combination with n .Wheeledl vframe, enti excel/ating means carried thereby.. et slr-waiting menne comprising; :i` eonveyer inclnciing transverse potato engaging men'lbers, receiving means flisposeil` over the eonveyer `on 'which the potatoes are conveyed by the lengeging' members, said ineens constituting screening;l means 'for removing; the flirttromsthe potatoes and extending be Vond .the conveyer to form a notato vsort' LA" element, and means tor vibrating 'the sorting" lportion of saici reoeii'ing means n 3. ln n potato (ligger, the combination with aund excavafti Wheelmb trame, means carried thereby, of elevating1 means comprising n ronveyer including;transverse pot-nto engaging' members, and nie-ariseng'agerl by said engaging members 'for holding seid engaging members 1n operative position, said menus srnmortmg the witatoes .during conveying notion.

- with a.

fr. ln potati (ligger, the combination Wheeled frame anni exoafvnting nieans carriecl thereby, of elevating means consisting; 'ot transverse bar members, po-

tato engaging' members movably connected,

ybar membersy limiting movement et' said.

engaging: members,l and vmeans for holding?,1 the latter in -coiperation with the limiting' means during conveying action, saifl bolrling' means s lilpporting the potatoes they are elevatefl.

ln a, potato (ligger, the combination with a wheeled trame an-l excavating); means fnrried thereby, oit elevating means consist ing1 of transverse bar members, fingered bers disposed on said bar members, and Ameans pirotolly connecting the linger bars to the bnr members aforesaid; and potato receivingroils arranged between the lingers out the fingered bers and having engagement therewith. to hold said bars oii'standing from the conveyor.

7. ln a potato (ligger, the combination withn. wheeled frame and excavating means carried thereby, ot' elevating moons consisting; of transverse bar members, ingererl, bars pivotally mounterl thereon, stop ineens on saicl bar members Yfor holding` the lingered bars in operativo position in one portion et travel of the conveyor; :intl ,quicio ineens disposed adjacent to the conveyer for boldingf the fingered bars in position to engage the potatoes as they pass from the excavating' nienns.

n. in a potato (ligger, thevv combination with a' wheeled lfanie enel exeavs"i',in..,- means earriefl thereby, of elevating means eons1st-- ing; off.' transversebzn' members, fingered bars nvotally .mounted thereon` stop means onsnid bar membi for holdingthe lingered bans in operative p/sition in. one portion of travel ot the conveyer, gnitle means iisposotl adjacent to the oonveyer for holding; the fingered ba in postionto engage the potatoes as i;

v poss 'From 'the excavating meansyend screening and supporting rods extending 'from the excavating meansm er the eonveyer. v

9. ln a potato (ligger, the -Confibirmtion. with a wheeled frame, anfl anexcaivatlng member, of a conveyer, ineens for receiving the potatoes trom 'the excavating member arranged adjacent to the oonreyer, einganging members on, Seial conveyor counting with the receiving' means, said receiving means comprising spaced flexible rods extending beyond the convever to form a'potato sorting screen, and means connected to the sortingl extensions for vibrating said sorting elements.

.10. In a potato digger, the combination of an excavating member, elevating'nieans for the potatoes, and means for separating vines from said potatoes, comprising'arcnate agitating racks, and means for alternately actuating said racks to canse progressive discharge of vthe vines laterally from the machine.

llfn'a potato digger, the combination of an excavating member, elevating means for the potatoes, and means for separating vines from said potatoes, comprisingr arenate agitating racks, and means for actuating said racks to canse discharge of the vines laterally from the machine.r- .said actuating,r means including a crank shaft to which the actuating` ranks are eonnecnal at one end.

l2. In a potato dimer, the combination of an excavating lneniher, elevating' means for the potatoes, and means for separating vines 'from said potatoes, comprising` arenate agitating racks, and means :for actuating; said racks to canse discharge et the vines laterali.)7 from the machine. said actuating ,means inclndiny a transverse crank shalt lo which the racks are connected ai, one cnrl and a longiianlinaily extending crank shaft to which the racks aux comnrctcil at their other end.

In. testimonyv whereof I allix my signa ture. 

